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177
Gipsy Hill, too, might, with advantage, be provided with a
separate Mortuary for infectious dead bodies as well also as for
other (non-infectious) dead bodies, thereby doing away with the
necessity of taking such dead bodies all the way to Wanless
Road, Loughborough, as at present.
This question as to the need for a separate Mortuary for Norwood
Ward has been again raised during the year 1902, and
its need agreed to. Up to the date of this Report, unfortunately,
no site has been yet obtained.
A small Mortuary alone is needed, with accommodation for (1)
infectious cases, and (2) other dead bodies. It is not only in the
case of bodies dead from violence or sudden death, necessitating
post-mortems or inquests, that such a Mortuary building would be
of use There are often times, in addition, when it is advisable
to remove the bodies of persons who have died from infectious or
other diseases from crowded centres to await burial. There is
no immediate necessity, at present, for a new Inquest-room and
Coroners' Court for Norwood. Norwood Ward is growing
rapidly, and the crowded parts of the district are south of the
Cemetery, so that it is a long way to have to take bodies (especially
infectious ones) to the Mortuary at Wanless Road.
With a new Mortuary in Norwood, accommodation would be
provided for Tulse Hill and Norwood Wards, whilst the Wanless
Road Mortuary would supply Brixton. Heme Hill, and Stockwell
Wards; and the High Street Mortuary, Marsh, Bishop's Prince's
and Vauxhall Wards.
The 2 Mortuary-Keepers and the Deputy Keeper have given
satisfaction in the performance of their duties, which are mostly
of an unpleasant and trying nature. At High Street Mortuary a
subsidence under the floor of the dead-house occurred during
1902, with the result that the floor has been relaid with concrete
and iron joists laid across, at an estimated cost of ,£20. The
roof of the Mortuary-Keeper's house has also been repaired during
1902 at an estimated cost of £10.